Using the minimum requirement concept to manage research in the Yosemite Wilderness

Abstract

Ninety-five percent of Yosemite National Park is designated wilderness. More than 30 million people live within a day’s drive of the park, and visitation to the wilderness is more than 400,000 people annually. Yosemite is also popular with researchers. In recent years the park has received about 100 research permit applications per year, of which about 75 percent are in wilderness. While the existing permit application system considers the impacts of such proposals, it doesn’t necessarily do so in the context of wilderness character. In the last 4 years, Yosemite wilderness managers have applied the minimum requirement concept to wilderness research. The large number of applications has led to the creation of a screening tool to identify the relative impacts of proposals. A tracking system is now being created to consider cumulative impacts, both temporally and spatially. Ongoing issues include the lack of consideration of wilderness values during project design, and lack of incentive for removing scientific installations from wilderness.

Parent Publication

• Science and stewardship to protect and sustain wilderness values: Eighth World Wilderness Congress symposium

Citation

Fincher, Mark. 2007. Using the minimum requirement concept to manage research in the Yosemite Wilderness. In: Watson, Alan; Sproull, Janet; Dean, Liese, comps. Science and stewardship to protect and sustain wilderness values: Eighth World Wilderness Congress symposium; September 30-October 6, 2005; Anchorage, AK. Proceedings RMRS-P-49. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 349-354